I figured it would be wise to create a new thread that was specific to NMSU and Idaho and what their conference affiliation future has in store.

As much as I love postulating grand plans where they manage to attract enough top level FCS teams to carry on as a FBS conference I know that is highly unlikely.

Idaho to the Big Sky for football seems highly likely. It puts them at 14 for football and 12 for everything else.

New Mexico St is harder to figure out. 15/13 seems really awkward to me as a Big Sky alignment. The Big Sky could try to get another full member to realign with a more regional league (North Dakota or Sacramento St) to make room for NMSU. NMSU could also look at going the opposite direction at the Southland--NMSU would bring them to 12/14. They could face some competition though from fellow WAC member UTRGV who wants to start football and would like to have that same spot.

The WAC and Big Sky presidents need to work out a reorganization that makes the WAC a FCS conference. If both Idaho and NMSU move down, there are 13 full members who play FCS football, plus 2 affiliates from the Big West.

Big Sky - EWU, PSU, Idaho, ISU, UM, MSU, UND, UC Davis*

WAC - Sac St, Weber St, SUU, NAU, UNC, NMSU, Cal Poly*

If UTRGV starts football they play in the WAC.

As far as the non-football members go, the Big Sky gets Seattle and Utah Valley (which keeps the Big Sky in Utah); the WAC keeps Bakersfield and Grand Canyon. UMKC may wind up in the Big Sky if they can't find a new home, and that at least keeps the Big Sky at an even number.

If Chicago State survives, they are "recommended" to go to the Atlantic Sun.

Idaho, NMSU, UMass and Army should all stay as FBS independentsThey should work together to play each other (that would be three games a year)They should approach the B1G and the SEC as these conferences will no longer schedule FCS games.• that is 28 teams from these two conferences playing one game each against one of the four indies generating 7 games per indies• without being in a G5 conference the indies season schedule would be more flexible than any G5 in terms of availability to play the p5• playing against p5 is more lucrative than against G5• if the indies want to get better they need to play against P5 rather than G5s• strength of schedule would be pretty good

So that is 10 games season thusThe last two could be against an FCS or two, or an FCS and a G5

I like the idea of the 3 games guaranteed for each school by your agreement Huan.(it would be 4 if a FCS game is counted) I also assume the rivalry games already in the works as a extra game.(new Mexico s New Mexico State and Idaho Vs Boise St)

Standard 12 game schedule per year:(based around it being NSMU's schedule)ArmyUmassIdahoFCSNew MexicoP5 team #1P5 team #2P5 team #3G5 team #1G5 team #2G5 team #3either a extra P-5 team or G-5 school (maybe BYU)

The p 5 games are both good money games to pay for the football team but also can be seen on TV through other schools TV network. Even the G5 schools might not be a huge money maker but they most likely would do a home and home. I would think that some mid level or low level P5 schools will agree to a home and home or 2 for 1 deals because both Idaho and NSMU football are not that strong. Maybe have a deal with NSMU for example to schedule a OOC basketball game or something.

Independence can work if need be.The biggest problem would be to make sure their teams have a tied in bowl game. The easiest thing would be Idaho potato bowl for Idaho and the New mexico bowl for New Mexico state.

The trouble with an independent alliance between Idaho, MNSU, UMass, and Army is that Army is booked solid through 2020 and only has one opening in 2021. Army also uses their football program as a recruitment tool so they seem to like to play opponents who are near large population centers. As much as Army needs games against teams they can compete with (and all of these other independents qualify) they are a bit snooty when it comes to who they play.

UMass however, has room to schedule both Idaho and NMSU in November in 2018 and 2019 if they stay FBS.

BYU only had 2 open dates in 2018 but plenty in 2019 but I'm not sure that the Cougars want to kill their strength of scheduling by playing UMass, NMSU, and Idaho in both of those seasons.

Commissioner Fullerton of the Big Sky seems to be talking an awful lot about Idaho but seems to be pretty mute on NMSU; someone correct me if I'm wrong here. That makes me suspect his league isn't keen on having 13 members and 15 for football.

Going bigger than 14 football schools creates some complications. If you have NMSU as 15 then you probably want San Diego for 16. Then to get two autobids you need to find a way to split those 16 schools into 2 8 team conferences and figure out where you are going to place the sponsorship of the additional conference.

This makes things even harder on NMSU if they are left out and don't have Idaho as a partner in their FBS independence gambit.

There's been comments made by the Idaho administration to media and even fans... when you read between the lines, you can see they're going Big Sky. They have to. There's nowhere else to go. Independence does nothing for a school with a stadium that might seat 17,000 and declining enrollment and support.

There's been comments made by the Idaho administration to media and even fans... when you read between the lines, you can see they're going Big Sky. They have to. There's nowhere else to go. Independence does nothing for a school with a stadium that might seat 17,000 and declining enrollment and support.

3 years ago when they had to play a season as an independent the Vandals boosters were very much against a downgrade. Now I think reality might have set in. The Vandals are probably better off being a bigger fish in a little pond than one of FBS's worst programs.

At least the Vandals have the Big Sky to go to. Neither the Big Sky or the Southland seem to be dying to have the NMSU Aggies. Independence becomes that much harder for them if Idaho downgrades and they lose a potential late season match up when games are hard to come by.

Yes it will... probably one a year. However, going independent, in Idaho's circumstance, will mean no more than 4 home games. 3 wouldn't surprise me. Idaho has a wickedly small number of assets to go chasing anything other than body bag games.

They're better off taking the hit in exchange for 22 scholarships departed, rebuilding from the ground up somehow. If they catch fire in the Big Sky, they can eventually get a sniff somewhere.

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